Le timbre ci-dessus, émis en carnet de 12 timbres autocollants (6 Mariannes de Lamouche actuelles + 6 Mariannes de Cheffer) célèbre les 40 ans de la "Marianne de Cheffer". La coutume veut qu'en France, à chaque changement de président de la république, un nouveau timbre courant représentant une Marianne (symbole de la république française) soit émis.Cette Marianne, dessinée par Henry Cheffer (1880-1957) et gravée par Claude Durrens, a circulé de 1967 à 1971. C'est la Marianne de Bequet qui lui succédera.Pour l'anecdote, cette Marianne avait été retoquée une première fois en 1954, les autorités françaises préférant la Marianne de Muller pour remplacer la Marianne de Gandon...C'est aussi le seul timbre courant à avoir reçu le Grand Prix de l'art philatélique en 1967 !C'est Pierre Albuisson qui a gravé cette nouvelle version de la "Cheffer".A noter que la Marianne de Lamouche (ou Marianne des français) sera remplacée le 1er juillet 2008, nouveau président oblige. Cette date coïncidera avec le début de la présidence française de l'Union Européenne.The current stamp above, issued in a 12 self-adhesive stamps booklet (6 "Marianne de Lamouche" + 6 "Marianne de Cheffer") celebrates the 40 years of the "Marianne de Cheffer". As usual in France, for each new President of the Republic, a new current stamp representing Marianne (the symbol of the French Republic) is issued. This Marianne, designed by Henry Cheffer (1880-1957) and engraved by Claude Durrens, ran from 1967 to 1971. The "Marianne de Bequet" was its successor. For the anecdote, this Marianne had been refused a first time in 1954, the French authorities preferring the "Marianne de Muller" to replace the "Marianne de Gandon"... It is also the only current stamp to be awarded the "Grand Prix de l'Art Philatélique" in 1967 ! It's Pierre Albuisson who engraved this new version of the "Cheffer". Note that the "Marianne de Lamouche" (or "Marianne or the French") will be replaced on July 1, 2008. The new Marianne will be choosen by our new President Sarkozy. This date coincides with the beginning of the French presidency of the European Union.

Cette dernière lettre n'est pas un FDC mais elle reprend le cachet officiel du Salon, avec la tour Eiffel, la cathédrale Notre-Dame et l'Arc de Triomphe (ces 3 monuments figurent également sur la vignette LISA spéciale émise lors du Salon). A gauche de la tour Eiffel figure également le logo de la CNEP (Chambre française des Négociants et Experts en Philatélie), l'organisateur de ce salon. Le timbre, émis le 5 novembre 2007, représente une vue de la ville de Dole dans le Jura, département Franc-Comtois qui m'est cher !!C'est une partie du secteur sauvegardé historique de la ville qui est représenté sur le timbre, se reflétant dans le Doubs. On distingue la collégiale Notre-Dame. Dole est célèbre pour y avoir vu naître Louis Pasteur, l'un des français les plus timbrifiés dans le monde ! Sa maison natale est aujourd'hui un musée.This last letter is not a FDC but you can see on it the official Exhibition's postmark, with the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame Cathedral and the Arc de Triomphe (these 3 monuments are also on the special LISA label issued during the event) . To the left of the Eiffel Tower is also the logo of the CNEP (French Chamber of Wholesalers and experts in Philately), the organizer of this event. The stamp, issued on November 5, 2007, represents a view of Dole city in the Jura, a Department of Franche-Comté region that is dear to me ! This is a part of the protected sector of the historic city that is depicted on the stamp, which is reflected in the Doubs River. You can also see the Notre-Dame collegiate Church. Dole is famous for having been the birthplace of Louis Pasteur, one of the Frenchman most stamped in the world ! His birthplace is now a museum.

Garnet, my Canadian friend, was kind enough to send me some nice FDC from Korea, sent to him by Korean friend. Above the cover in which these FDC traveled. As an European, history and culture of Korea (and Japan or China besides...) seems very complicated and misunderstood...probably because insufficiently taught in school. Once again, stamps may sometimes help remedy partially... The 2 right definitive stamps were issued in 1996 (1000 won) and 2007 (70 won). The 1000 won stamp represents Soksu, an animal stone carving kept in the Kongju National Museum, regarded as a national Korean treasure. Since the Chinese Han Dynasty, Soksu is placed in front of tombs (or inside) to chase off evil spirits by playing a guardian role. The 70 won one represents a plant called "Red Bearberry", a rare and endangered species which can be observed in South Korea only in the Seoraksan Mountain. The two 250 won identical stamps, issued February 21, 2007, commemorate the 100th anniversary of the national debt repayment movement... What is it ? In 1907, in Daegu, this movement has begun to repay a debt of 1.3 million won imposed by the occupying Japan. The purpose of this movement was to regain national sovereignty. The 20 million Koreans have quickly responded to the call by selling all they had (like the rings of women appearing on the stamp). Although this movement has failed, it has significantly enhanced the patriotism and unity of the country.

The 4 stamps above, issued on September 28, 2007, are part of the 4th set of the Korean Post, devoted to bridges in the country. They represent 2 suspension bridges and 2 truss bridges. Each stamp shows a view of the bridge by night and a drawing showing its structure : -Top left : the Gwangan bridge in Busan, completed in 2002, is the longest suspension bridge in the country (7420 m). -Top right : the Seongsu bridge in Seoul (1160 m), completed in 1979, is the 11th bridge built over Han river. It was rebuilt in 1997 after a tragic collapse. -Bottom left : the Seangsan bridge in Seoul (1415 m) is the 12th bridge over Han river since 1980. -Bottom right : the Yeongjong bridge in Incheon (4420 m), completed in 2000. It connects Incheon International Airport.

The 4 stamps above represent the 4th set devoted to Mountain landscapes. They were issued on October 18, 2007. I find these stamps really beautiful ! The 4 landscapes (2 lakes and 2 falls) can be observed around Mount Baekdusan, the highest mountain of the country (2750 m). This Mountain chain, which represents the heart and soul of Korean people, also extends into North Korea(DPRK) and China. The site is registered at the UNESCO world heritage since 1989, as a biosphere reserve. The 2 represented lakes (Samji and Chon) are of volcanic origin, Lake Chon being one of the highest crater lakes in the world. Near the 2 represented falls (Hyongje and Rimyongsu) can be observed a unique alpine flora (Rhododendron...).

Le timbre à 10sk, imprimé en Offset, représente une allégorie symbolisant le sapin décoré de Noël. Cette coutume, si familière chez nous, apparaît en Slovaquie au début du 19ème siècle. L'arbre de Noël remplace progressivement la crèche et les allégories en paille dans les villages.Les décorations traditionnelles (noisettes, pommes, figurines en pain d'épice...) seront remplacées par des décorations plus colorées en verre et lumineuses. The 30sk engraved stamp represents the Jasov monastery. It is part of a series of 2 stamps showing the beauties of the country, the other representing the Hronský Beňadik monastery. The Jasov baroque monastery is located in the southeast of Slovakia. It was built between 1750 and 1766 under the influence of the Austrian architect Pilgram. It is one of the most important baroque building in the country. This monastery conserves the last Baroque garden in the country. On the stamp is represented the elegant facade of the Church of St. John the Baptist.

The 10sk stamp, printed in Offset, represents an allegory symbolizing the decorated Christmas tree. This custom, so familiar to us, appears in Slovakia in the early 19th century. The Christmas tree is gradually replacing the crib and straw allegories in the villages. The traditional decorations (nuts, apples, gingerbread figurines...) will be replaced by more colorful decorations made of glass and light.

mardi 20 novembre 2007

Désolé, je n'ai pas beaucoup de temps pour publier de nouveaux messages en ce moment...Vu les températures fraîches en ce moment en France, je voulais juste partager avec vous cette carte postale reçue des Bahamas, de Nassau (la capitale) en septembre 2007.Merci Gina d'avoir pensé à faire figurer dans ton message la température du moment (32°C !!).Sorry, I do not have much time to publish new posts at this time... Due to the cool temperatures at this time in France, I just wanted to share with you this postcard received from the Bahamas, from Nassau (the capital) in September 2007. Thank you Gina for thinking to include in your message the temperature at this moment (32°C !!).

La dernière lettre ci-dessous m'a été envoyée de Livourne (Toscane) par Riccardo, merci :-)Le timbre, émis le 25 mars 2007, célèbre les 50 ans des traités de Rome.C'est en effet en 1957 que les 6 pays fondateurs ont signé à Rome le traité instituant la Communauté Européenne et le traité instituant la Communauté Européenne de l'énergie atomique (traité Euratom). The last letter below was sent to me from Livorno (Tuscany) by Riccardo, thanks :-) The stamp, issued on March 25, 2007, celebrates the 50th anniversary of the treaties of Rome. It was in 1957 that the 6 founding countries have signed the Treaty establishing the European Community and the Treaty establishing the Atomic Energy European Community (Euratom Treaty).De nombreuses manifestations ont eu lieu cette année pour fêter ces 50 ans, dont l'émission de timbres commémoratifs par certains des 27 pays de l'UE. A noter qu'une charte graphique unique a été créée pour l'occasion par l'UE : le terme "Ensemble" est décliné dans toutes les langues officielles de l'UE. Voici la version française : Many events took place this year to celebrate these 50 years, including the issue of commemorative stamps by some of the 27 EU countries. Note that a unique graphic charter has been created for the occasion by the EU : the word "Together" is available in all the official languages of the EU. Here is the French version :

On retrouve la version italienne de ce logo sur le timbre ci-dessous :You can find the Italian version of this logo on the stamp below :

To conclude, France has also issued this year (in extremis...) a stamp commemorating these 50 years (with the erroneous mention "Treaty of Rome" in the singular). Its design is so insipid that I dare not show it to you...Moreover, the official logo above does not appear on the stamp.In short, a stamp to forget !!

Les 2 timbres de gauche ont un point commun : ils n'avaient aucune raison d'être émis en 2007 !En effet, le timbre à 1,40€ est consacré au Club de spéléologie de Rome, fondé en 1904. La Poste italienne avait sans doute raté le coche en 2004, année de son centenaire...Ce timbre représente un spéléologue dans une grotte avec une chauve-souris curieusement représentée en bas à gauche du timbre...L'autre timbre à 0,23€ a été émis pour le 91ème anniversaire de la mort du père Lodovico Acernese...Il est l'un des fondateurs de la congrégation des soeurs franciscaines de l'immaculée conception. Il est représenté sur le timbre (avec une barbe impressionnante !) devant l'église de la congrégation à Pietradefusi (sa ville natale), en Campanie.La valeur faciale du timbre ne correspond en outre à aucun tarif postal en Italie ?? éventuellement utilisable en timbre de complément...The 2 stamps on the left have one thing in common : they had no reason to be issued in 2007 ! Indeed, the €1.40 stamp is devoted to the Rome Speleological Club, founded in 1904. The Italian Post had probably missed the opportunity in 2004, the year of its centenary... This stamp represents a speleologist in a cave with a flying bat curiously represented at the bottom left of the stamp... The other €0.23 stamp has been issued for the 91st anniversary of the death of Father Lodovico Acernese...He is one of the founders of the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception's congregation. He is represented on the stamp (with an impressive beard !) in front of the church to the congregation in Pietradefusi (his hometown), in Campania. The stamp's face value correspond in no case to any postal rate in Italy ? Stamp can eventually be used as a supplement value...

The 75c stamp, issued on April 23, 2005, paid tribute to Pope John Paul II deceased the same year. Note that the stamp contains the date of the beginning of his pontificate (1978), and not his date of birth. Many countries have issued similar commemorative stamps...but not France, a lay state that does not often issue stamps about foreign heads of state. 2 other stamps have been issued in this series, that constitute the miniature sheet above. The pope's episcopal motto ( "Totus Tuus", "Totally yours" in Latin) appears on this M/S, which refers to the Virgin Mary.

From right to left: The Tatra Mountain Sheepdog is a shepherd dog with a thick white coat. It is a friendly and disciplined dog. He watch over sheep herds, but also helps in rescue actions. The Polish Greyhound is a large hunting dog used since the 14th century to hunt bustards, the hare and the wolf. The Polish Lowland Sheep dog is a nice, medium sized dog whose characteristic feature is a long coat. It is bred for many centuries. The Polish Bloodhound and Polish Hound were popular in noblemen's manors from the 14th to 18th century. Then they almost disappeared after the years of the partition of Poland and the war years. They are bred again since the 50's.

The small square stamp was also issued in 2006 in a series of 2 miniature sheets devoted to the 26 letters of the Polish alphabet. This is the letter "R" of Rak (crayfish in Polish). This series (see above for the letters L to Z) was designed mainly for pupils of primary school classes and allow them to learn the alphabet in a fun way by combining a letter to a word. Good idea, no ?

Le timbre de petit format est un timbre courant de la jolie série débutée en 2005, consacrée à des poteries. Celui-ci a été émis le 25 novembre 2005 (avec 6 autres timbres) et représente un pot en céramique de la région de Leheceni, Bihor.A chaque année son thème : les pots en 2005, les pots de mariage en 2006 et les plats en 2007. The little-sized stamp is a definitive one from the nice series started in 2005, devoted to potteries. It was issued on November 25, 2005 (with 6 other stamps) and represents a ceramic pot from the region of Leheceni, Bihor. There is a different theme each year : the pots in 2005, the wedding pots in 2006 and flats in 2007. Revenons maintenant au PAP, émis en 2006 avec 5 autres différents, reproduisant des illustrations originales de l'officier français A. Saint-Aulaire effectuées lors d'un tour du monde à bord du baleinier "Aventure" en 1864. Ces lithographies, comme celle illustrant l'enveloppe représentant un baleinier sur le côte ouest de l'Afrique, sont regroupées dans son ouvrage "Campagne d'un baleinier autour du monde".Let's come back now to the Postal Stationery, issued in 2006 with 5 other different ones, reproducing original illustrations from the French officer A. Saint-Aulaire made during a world tour aboard the whaler "Adventure" in 1864. These lithographs, like the one depicted on the cover representing a whaler on the west coast of Africa, are grouped in his book "Campaign of a whaling around the world."

Voici ci-dessus la version originale de ce PAP. On découvre en fait qu'il a été émis lors du salon philatélique de Bucarest du 22 au 27 septembre 2006 (16ème biennale de philatélie polaire).Cette exposition a été organisée dans le cadre de l'Année de la francophonie en Roumanie. En 2006, le sommet de la francophonie a en effet eu lieu à Bucarest pour la 1ère fois.On comprend mieux ainsi pourquoi ce PAP reprend des illustrations d'un officier français...Here is above the original version of the Postal stationery. We discover he had in fact been issued during the philatelic exhibition in Bucharest from 22 to 27 September 2006 (the 16th polar philately Biennial). This exhibition has been organized as part of the Year of the Francophonie (French-speaking communities) in Romania. In 2006, the summit of the Francophonie took place indeed in Bucharest for the 1st time. We understand better now why the Postal Stationery shows illustrations of a French officer...